The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Seoul participated at the SIWA & Diplomatic Bazaar 2012 held at the Seoul Museum of History on 13th November 2012.

The SIWA & Diplomatic Bazaar, organized by the Seoul International Women’s Association, is one of the leading fundraising events with a history of more than 30 years. The Bazaar is held annually in Seoul and attracts a large number of Korean visitors and foreign expatriates who live in Seoul. Organizations and over 40 Embassies come together to share their culture, food and festivities and to ultimately raise funds to support charities.

During the Bazaar, the Embassy of Sri Lanka occupied two festively decorated stalls, one to serve authentic Sri Lankan cuisine and the other to showcase traditional Sri Lankan handicrafts and the renowned Ceylon tea. A large number of visitors came by the stalls to taste popular Sri Lankan appetizers including rolls, cutlets, fish buns and delicious entrees such as vegetable roti and fried rice with chicken all the while, sipping on some pure Ceylon tea. All food served in the stall were sold out within a few hours and a high demand for Ceylon tea and some handicraft items was observed.

The success seen during the Bazaar indicates the demand and popularity that exists among visitors for Sri Lankan food and merchandise. In addition to supporting a good cause, this event further helped to create a stronger platform for Sri Lanka as it gave a large number of Koreans and expatriates living in Seoul a taste of Sri Lanka and a potential opportunity to further explore the country and culture.